Thank goodness I didn’t try hiking the PCT

…said me one year ago, mid covid, relieved that adventurous Sierra didn’t get me into something as nuts as hiking 2,653 miles from Mexico to Canada. I am outdoorsy, but not THAT outdoorsy.

Rewind one year earlier

I had just lost my job, it was the beginning of Covid and I was playing around capturing a time lapse of me writing ‘goals I’d like to achieve before I’m 30’ on a white board. They read:

1 – See all the American National Parks

2 – Get the working holiday visa for Canada

3 – Hike the PCT

The goals seemed daunting so I scribbled out 30 and wrote 32 instead. (IMG_1742)

Fast forward two years

I had decided against attempting the PCT (for no more reason than explained in my opening paragraph) but was in full swing of achieving number 1 on the ‘Goals before I’m 30/32 list’. We were on track to tick 50 of 51 national parks in the lower 48 states.

Several times we intersected the PCT. We saw a thru hiker walking around Crater Lake, OR and a little bit of me wanted it to be me. Key word being a LITTLE bit. You can’t hike THE WHOLE LENGTH OF AMERICA on a LITTLE bit of want, my inner chimp kept telling me.

Then we drove past the Sierra Nevada mountain rage. Through our bug splattered van windshield a rush of emotions hit me as I stare up at these stunning saw toothed mountain tops and register that these mountains are literally my name sake. I need to hike these I thought. I just have to experience them for all they are worth.

Ok great, I have made a decision (that’s impressive for me), I DO want to hike the PCT (I think?!). Internally chuffed at making a decision, then, reality check again. My girlfriend and I just endured a grueling 15 month stint of long distance while she was stuck in Australia during Covid and me in America. Now I want to turn around and tell her I want to go walkies in the wilderness for 5 months. Well crap.

The more I told myself I’d do it further in the future the stronger my desire became to want to do it next year (2022). I kept talking about the PCT to my girlfriend, warming myself up, testing myself to see if I REALLY do want this or not. Eventually I tell her I think 2022 is the year I give it a go. Maaany in depth conversations were had, but on the whole, she hated the idea of more time apart but she also 110% supported me in my decision and said it’s my adventurous nature that she loves. (She deserves a gf medal to say the least)

So November 11th was saved in my phone diary and the next step is ‘just’ to secure a permit!